“Are you suggesting that because they have always been of poor character, their testimony is untrustworthy? Is that it?” Seraphin narrowed his eyes, studying the innocent-looking blonde girl before him.
“Precisely, Lord Bishop. You truly are a man of profound wisdom and justice.” Lin Ye offered a beaming smile, showering him with one flattering compliment after another.
“Heh, you flatter me,” Seraphin offered a fake chuckle. “However, I am afraid you do not realize that there are no lies in an interrogation room. Their testimonies were truths uttered without a guilty conscience.”
Another strike.
Lin Ye remained calm and unhurried, even laughing to herself inside. Bring it on. I was only worried you wouldn't bring that up.
“Then may I ask, how do you define ‘truth’?” She tilted her head slightly, her tone genuinely inquisitive. “Suppose at some tea party, they tested me using other topics, leading me to unknowingly divulge information that aided the Snake Cult. Or suppose they used another pretext to trick me into funding the Snake Cult’s activities. When they accuse me, do their testimonies count as ‘truth’? If I can be convicted on grounds like that, I feel it would be rather unfair to me.”
She spread her hands, her expression completely relaxed and open.
Everything was going according to plan.
She was all too familiar with the Holy See’s Truth Spell from the game. Those under this spell would involuntarily spill their inner secrets, answering whatever was asked. Attempting to lie brought agonizing pain, making it sound seemingly flawless.
But Lin Ye knew it possessed a fatal flaw: the Truth Spell judged what the speaker subjectively believed to be true, not the objective fact itself.
In other words, even a half-truth could pass the Truth Spell's test, even if a half-truth was often far more destructive than an outright lie.
As long as someone was shameless enough and could convince themselves, they could talk utter nonsense even while under the Truth Spell.
That was precisely why torture had never been phased out by the Holy See, despite possessing such a spell.
Under the Truth Spell's judgment, both scenarios she mentioned would be deemed "truth."
"..." Seraphin was left momentarily speechless.
He had not expected a young girl to understand the Truth Spell so thoroughly. To his knowledge, Roseliel had never taken elective holy magic courses at school.
Suppressing his surprise, he shifted his angle of attack. "Are you implying that you were merely deceived by those two, inadvertently providing aid to the Snake Cult while remaining entirely in the dark yourself? Is that it?"
"Precisely." Lin Ye nodded candidly.
Her crisp, straightforward admission actually caught Seraphin off guard.
Lin Ye knew full well the danger of this move. In the eyes of certain radicals, anyone who aided an evil cult, regardless of the reason, belonged on the pyre.
However, given House Rosenwal's standing, a tiny handful of radicals couldn't make much waves. What she needed to do was not clear her suspicion entirely.
Setting aside that it was completely impossible—since the original body had indeed committed the act—more importantly, if she insisted on total innocence, she would have to publicly prove that the Holy See was wrong.
The Holy See represented divine will; it could not be wrong. To prove that point, the Holy See would fight her to the death, which would benefit her in no way.
She had indeed assisted the Snake Cult, so the Holy See's suspicion of her was justified. However, it was all because both she and the Holy See had been misled by vile scoundrels. Only by framing it this way could everyone be happy and save face.
As long as she downgraded "deliberate collusion" to "being manipulated," she could save herself.
Submit to light punishment, but run from heavy ones—she understood this wisdom well enough.
"Furthermore," Lin Ye cut in while Seraphin was still deliberating his next words, "to thoroughly clear my suspicion and to give an answer to the victims, I would like to request an opportunity."
"What opportunity?"
"I wish to participate in the investigation of this incident. I want to uncover the full truth with my own hands."
"That is impossible!" For the first time, Seraphin's tone carried a clear ripple of emotion. "Allowing a suspect to join the investigation? Do you think we have lost our minds?"
"Lord Bishop, I hear the Holy See has a tradition of making oaths before the Goddess," Lin Ye said, dodging his accusation. "To prevent cult infiltration, the Holy See leads clergy everywhere in daily oath prayers, correct?"
Seraphin narrowed his eyes. "I have never seen you attend a single prayer, yet your understanding of the Holy See exceeds my expectations. You are correct. Under the gaze of the Goddess, no evil can remain hidden. Although there have been rare cases of corruption, investigations revealed those individuals used various tricks to bypass the oath. As of yet, no one has ever managed to successfully conceal their guilt after swearing directly before the Goddess."
Such petty tricks were something he had seen all too often during his days as a low-level inquisitor. Many who possessed only a superficial knowledge of the Holy See thought they could slip by using such ploys, dismissing his warnings as mere scaremongering.
The fate of such people usually involved shrieks echoing through the entire chapel.
The Holy See sometimes gathered these screams using Echo Stones, playing them as a deterrent for suspects under interrogation.
Hearing this, the corners of Lin Ye's lips curled up instead.
"That couldn't be better."
She straightened her posture and enunciated every word: "I am willing to swear before the statue of the Goddess, staking my soul, to first prove my innocence, and second, bring the full truth of this matter to light."
Mad.
Seraphin's immediate reaction was that this girl had gone completely mad.
An oath staking one's soul was a far more rigorous ritual than routine oath prayers, ranking among the highest caliber in the entire Holy See.
Only someone like him, who was destined to dedicate his entire life to the Church, would take such an oath upon assuming office, placing a portion of his soul into the hands of the Goddess.
Should one betray it, the wrath of the Goddess would travel along that soul link, burning directly from the heavenly realm to the mortal world, unstoppable by any means.
This ritual was rarely used simply because, in essence, it differed little from the soul contracts of evil cultists, and the Holy See did not wish to draw such comparisons.
Yet she was actively requesting it?
Looking at the solemn face opposite him, Seraphin felt his conviction waver for the first time.
Could she truly have been framed?
Could she really be a good girl?
He fell silent for several seconds, his eyes locking tightly onto her. "Do you truly mean this?"
Since she was delivering herself to his doorstep, he naturally had no reason to refuse. After all, presiding over a ritual was little trouble. If her true nature was exposed before the Goddess, it would save him a great deal of effort and effectively shut the mouths of busybodies in the kingdom.
"Without a shadow of a doubt," Lin Ye met his gaze without backing down. "This matter concerns my honor and that of my family. More than anyone, I wish for the truth to be brought to light as soon as possible."
This, of course, was all calculated on her part.
As a contract involving divine power, the soul oath commanded near-absolute trust from the Holy See. In the late game, even those trusted by the heroine had to pass this hurdle before receiving clearance from the Holy See.
And she was gambling on one thing: the soul currently inhabiting this body was no longer the original one.
Was the "Roseliel" recognized by the Goddess truly the same "Roseliel" standing here right now?
The answer would soon be revealed.
Inside the solemn chapel, the statue of the Goddess of Justice towered ahead. The pristine marble figure bore a grave countenance, holding scales in one hand and a sharp sword in the other, her gaze lowered as if scrutinizing all right and wrong in the mortal realm.
Lin Ye stood directly beneath the statue. Flanking her were Bishop Seraphin, two fully armed combat monks, and eight nuns holding holy water and thorned cross icons. It was quite a spectacle; clearly, the Holy See remained on guard against her.
“Under the witness of the great Goddess of Justice, I, Roseliel von Rosenwal, offer my soul as sacrifice and swear this oath.”
Her voice rang clear and steady, echoing through the cavernous chapel.
“I have no direct connection to the Snake Cult's attack on Saint Uriel Academy. I have not actively planned, participated in, or provided direct assistance to the Snake Cult in any shape or form.”
“I am willing to personally uncover the truth behind this attack, track down the true culprit, and bring them to justice. Regardless of their status or power, I will pursue them to the end without leniency.”
“If my words are false, or if I shield the culprit after learning the truth...”
She took a deep breath.
“...may the Goddess of Justice claim my soul, burning it to ash within holy flames and extinguishing it across all realms. Let my body die, my soul perish, and may I plunge into purgatory forever, suffering torment for all eternity.”
The moment her words fell, a searing heat suddenly detonated deep within her chest.
The heat arrived without warning, like something lighting a fire at the very center of her soul. Pain ripped through her from the inside out, nearly forcing her to her knees.
It was the will of the Goddess searching, scrutinizing, and churning inside her body, as if an invisible hand were reaching into her soul to drag out every single secret.
Immediately after.
"AAAAAAAAAHHH—!"
A shriek so shrill it sounded unhuman exploded from her throat.
No, that was wrong.
The sound did not come from her mouth.
It came from deep within her body. Deep inside her consciousness, she "saw" a blonde girl identical to herself wrapped in invisible holy fire, burning, crumbling, and turning to ash piece by piece, starting from her toes.
On that identical face was an expression of utter terror and indignation.
"You aren't me! You aren't me! You aren't me!"
The blonde girl struggled and howled, reaching out toward her, yet grasping nothing. Flames swallowed her arms, then her shoulders, and then her beautiful face.
Screaming, she vanished into nothingness.
Lin Ye stood in the void deep within her consciousness, looking down from above at the last remaining spec of ash on the ground.
"...How ugly."
She whispered expressionlessly, then raised her middle finger toward the pile of ash.
"Go to hell."
As that remnant soul completely dissipated, the searing heat in her chest receded like the tide.
Pfft.
Like a spark falling into damp wood, the last tiny ember flickered out.
She lowered her eyes and maintained a calm posture, not letting her expression betray a single thing.
But in her heart, she knew she had won her gamble.
The Goddess's trial was bound to the identity of "Roseliel," touching the soul associated with that identity. Her soul, as an outsider, was not entirely identical to the original soul.
Meanwhile, on Seraphin's side, it was an entirely different scene.
A faint, golden radiance drifted across the surface of the Goddess of Justice's statue—a sign that the oath had been accepted, signifying that the Goddess had indeed heard her words. Yet the girl standing before the holy statue remained completely unharmed: no wailing, no burning, and certainly no turning to ash...
Seraphin's pupils contracted sharply.
She... actually passed?
A notorious heiress, a suspect whom he had already concluded was guilty in his heart, could actually prove her innocence before the Goddess?
He remained silent for a long while, his expression dark and unreadable.
"...You may step down."
He finally spoke, his voice devoid of any emotion. "Regarding the investigation, the Holy See will arrange someone to liaise with you."
Roseliel curtsied slightly, turned, and walked toward the exit. Her steps were steady and her spine straight, until the heavy wooden doors slowly shut behind her. Only then did she finally lean against the wall, unable to hold herself up any longer, and let out a long breath.
Her legs were a bit weak.
But at least she had walked out alive.
Bright sunshine spilled in from outside the Holy See's grand entrance, falling upon her shoulders with a cozy warmth.
She narrowed her eyes and found her body feeling lighter than ever before; even her injuries from yesterday no longer seemed to hurt.
It was likely because that remnant soul had completely vanished.
Standing on the steps before the Holy See, she raised a hand to shade her eyes from the sunlight, the corners of her mouth slowly curving up.
From this day forth, that villainous heiress was truly dead.
And she, Roseliel von Rosenwal, had survived.
Rate on N.U.
